TEACHING THE CULTIVATORS 49 



in America time after time — so much larger a crop at the same 

 expense, rearing the fattest pig or the best litter, or the best heifer 

 or colt, or else yield of eggs, and doing so in the shortest time ; and 

 telling him about the various points to be observed to accomplish 

 such a result. The old man thus learns improved farming from his 

 offspring, as I have seen wholly illiterate cultivators in Italy learn 

 to write from their children and grandchildren in order to qualify 

 for membership in a credit society, which would not accept members 

 who could not sign their applications for loans themselves. 



In the United States this teaching has been found exceedingly 

 effective, even though the club practice, having been taken up by 

 the Department and the State Colleges only in 1910 after some 

 experiments by private action, is, of course, still only young. Thus 

 in the south, where previously a pig was scarcely to be seen, a very 

 flourishing pig industry has grown up — admittedly owing to the 

 example set by the clubs. And there and elsewhere breeding of all 

 sorts has been materially improved by well-bred animals being 

 substituted for notoriously inferior ones. The same improvement 

 of breeds extends to other species of animals, cattle and horses. In 

 the rearing of poultry the effect has likewise been marked. And, 

 like men farmers,* farmers' wives have been brought to learn a 

 lesson from their children, not in the keeping of the poultry yard 

 only. There is a good deal more that girls learn in clubs. Another 

 point in which the teaching of their elders through their children has 

 proved of signal benefit is that of using pure seed of good varieties 

 of grain, both of " corn " and of wheat. The young folks' selection 

 of good seed in their fathers' fields and cultivating that on the 

 " pedigree " system, has borne the desired fruit. 



One does not quite see why the same method adopted among 

 ourselves, mutatis mutandis, once we have the boys' and girls' 

 clubs, should not produce very much the same results. 



Another effective " pair of bullocks " to place before our unwilling 

 horse is, to awaken that horse's self-interest in what we are' trying to 

 teach him, if we can only get at it, showing him clearly what he 

 stands to gain in solid return by taking up what we recommend. 

 In this matter we have thus far, so it is plain, not done very much. 



And that opens up, incidentally, another question deserving to 

 be taken note of. 



In judging of our farmers' shortcomings — meaning, of course, 

 the rank and file, not including the select leaders — a leading autho- 



* The word " farmers " stands in America, as it does in Ireland, for 

 small cultivators as well as for what we term farmers. 



B.B. B 



